What do you get if you combine the terrors of The X Files with the world of The Twilight Zone? You get one of the best horror/sci-fi shows this year. From is a Canadian delight that is streaming now on the Epix Channel.
From
Filmed in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia but set in America, From is a ten episode series that will not only scare the bejesus out of you in the first episode, but it will also have you staying up late into the night binge watching what happens to the unfortunate people who find themselves trapped in a nightmare town. From was created and written by John Griffin.
This science fiction gem begins when a family on a vacation trip in their RV gets detoured by a fallen tree in the road. As they drive around for hours trying to find the main road, they keep winding up in the center of a rundown town. Jim Matthews (Eion Bailey) and Tabitha Matthews (Catalina Sandino Moreno) have suffered a tremendous loss: the death of an infant son, and this trip is to break the news of their upcoming divorce to their other children, Julie (Hannah Cheramy) and Ethan (Simon Webster).
Things quickly go from bad to worse when the panicked family realize that all roads lead back to the town, and on their last attempt to find the highway get into a car accident with another car. The residents, led by Sheriff Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau) and medical student, Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot) are able to get the two men from the car back to town, but struggle to free the boy’s leg from the wreckage. The Matthews family along with the Sheriff and Kristi are forced to spend the night in the overturned RV. Why the panic about being out in the open at night? We soon find out that this is no ordinary town.
The Town
All roads lead to this mysterious unnamed town. No matter what road taken, every person stuck in this town has come across the fallen tree and the sky filled with large crows. Yes, they are stuck in this town and the residents are trying desperately to survive the night. In the very first episode, we watch as Sheriff Boyd walks up and down the streets ringing his bell as a reminder for the residents to go home, lock their doors and pull down their shades. The creatures who come out at night are very clever at getting people to unlock their doors or windows, as is witnessed after one of the creatures disguises itself as a loving grandmother.
The town’s longest surviving resident, Victor (Scott McCord) has figured out some of the secrets of the forest which surrounds the town. He is nervous because the forest is moving closer to the town, plus he and Ethan are the only ones who see a boy dressed in white. There are many interesting characters in this town from the priest, Father Khatri (Shawn Majumder) with his own dark secret, to Donna (Elizabeth Saunders), who runs the Colony House, to Deputy Kenny (Ricky He) and his mothe,r who run the diner. Everyone is trapped in this town, but they are desperately attempting to carve out a normal life while the sun shines.
Conclusion
Harold Perrineau is amazing as Sheriff Boyd Stevens. We find out later in the series that it was the Sheriff who found the magic talisman that keeps each house safe from the ravenous monsters. We also learn later in the series why there is a rift between him and his son, Ellis (Corteon Moore).
A lot of people compare From to another series, Lost, but I disagree. This series is different, although it shares a Lost cast member in Perrineau, along with two former Lost executive producers. There is something special about From, and I am hoping it will keep my interest a lot better than Lost did.
I, at first, thought I was watching a Stephen King creation because this is the kind of story that he is famous for; King even endorsed the series on Twitter, though he is not involved at all with From. I am strongly recommending that you watch this series because the storyline is deliciously frightful, and you wind up caring for the characters. And let me tell you, those creatures that come out of the forest at night, they’ll leave you with nightmares. Watch From on Epix.
